Daily News Summary

An electronic digest of media coverage of interest to members of The Florida Bar compiled each workday by the Public Information and Bar Services Department. Electronic links are only active in today's edition. For information on previous articles, please contact the publishing newspaper directly.

ALUM MICHAEL ORR ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE FLORIDA BAR YOUNG LAWYERS DIVISION IN 2014 -- Florida Coastal School of Law, http://www.fcsl.edu, Feb. 28, 2013.Michael Orr was elected by The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors on Jan. 18 to serve as president-elect in 2013 and as president in 2014. Orr is the first Florida Coastal Alumnus to serve as President of the division, be a member of the Senior Florida Bar Board of Governors, and serve on the Executive Committee of The Florida Bar. Orr has been a member of the Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors for the past seven years and has held nearly every chair position on the board and chaired nearly every committee.

--Judiciary--

TEEN COURT STUDENTS HEADED TO MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION -- Daytona Beach News-Journal, http://www.news-journalonline.com, Feb. 28, 2013.Nearly two dozen local students from the Flagler County Teen Court program will be participating in the Northeast Florida Mock Trial Competition in Green Cove Springs on Friday [March 1]. The overnight field trip was funded through private donations, according to a spokeswoman with the 7th Judicial Circuit. At Tuesday's [Feb. 26] rehearsal, local attorney Marc Dwyer served as judge. Teen Court Coordinator Marian Irvin, attorney Alicia R. Washington and Circuit Judge Dennis Craig also helped train the students on the ins and outs of the courtroom.

--Legislature--

FLORIDA'S DEATH PENALTY: FIX IT, DON'T RUSH IT -- Lakeland Ledger, http://www.theledger.com, Editorial, Feb. 28, 2013.The editorial agrees with state Rep. Matt Gaetz's call to speed up executions, stating that he is right about the system being broken, but not only in the way that he suggests. It argues that speeding up a broken process is a bad idea. "Before Florida moves to speed up the death penalty process, it must first demonstrate that its death penalty is being carried out fairly and not leading to the wrong people being executed."

ORLANDO SENATOR SEEKS FORECLOSURE REFORMS, FILES FOUR BILLS -- Tampa Bay Times, http://www.tampabay.com, Feb. 28, 2013.Calling Florida’s position as the No. 1 state for foreclosures “shameful,” Sen. Darren Soto, D-Orlando, has filed four bills aimed at helping struggling homeowners. The bills would provide taxpayer-funded support for people who are on the verge of foreclosure, make it more difficult for banks to sue homeowners for additional debt after a foreclosure and crack down on lenders who use false documents in court. “This vision stands in stark contrast to the numerous bills filed over the past few years with the sole intention of kicking thousands of Florida’s working families out of their homes for the sake of expediency," he said in a statement.

--Criminal Justice Issues--

JUDGES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, SERVICE PROVIDERS SPEAK OUT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN TAMPA BAY -- Tampa Bay Times, http://www.tampabay.com, Feb. 28, 2013.Wednesday [Feb. 27] morning, more than 350 people gathered at Stetson University College of Law's Tampa Law Center to listen as panels of judges, prosecutors, law enforcement and service providers discussed human trafficking in Tampa Bay. "Because many people are unaware of the prevalence of human trafficking in the United States and Tampa Bay, it can be difficult to prosecute cases," Hillsborough Circuit Judge Rex Martin Barbas said. Wednesday's program also touched on specific bills before the Florida Legislature, including restrictions on massage parlors and protections in court for minor victims.